On the Path of Redemption
by lexi-charmed
Summary: Mel has been in Hell for 10 months, and Dean isn't giving up on her. What happens when Mel escapes Hell and Dean sees her? Will it be the reunion Dean has waited for, or will it lead to certain death?
1. Chapter 1

**Hi.** **I know there's been a wait for this story. I wanted to start posting it last week, but needed to fix a few things in chapters that didn't quite go right with the continuity. It picks up a month after the last story On the Path of Grieving. If you haven't read the stories before this, I recommend reading them, as it will explain a lot of things that happen in this story.**

Chapter 1

Melinda drank the wine. It was amazing wine, but there wasn't enough of it. It didn't dull the humanity that would come back every now and then. She'd struggled with this, especially after last month when she heard about the infiltration from the angels. They'd tried to save her; save Riley and then her. Her family was still holding out hope for her, and she'd gone and become the Queen of Hell.

Had they realized that she was Queen of Hell by now? Maybe that was why it had been 100 years since she'd died. Not that she looked a day over 22. She was still the sexy Halliwell she was when she was alive.

Her heart pained for a second, as she remembered back to her old life. Her memories had faded now. Only now and then would some of the feelings of humanity come back. There were faint memories of her time as human with her brothers, her cousins and Dean Winchester, but they weren't enough to completely taken over.

Melinda took another mouthful of the strong red wine, savoring the taste. It helped a little, but there just wasn't enough of it.

Finishing the glass of wine, the Queen of Hell stood. Her demonic servants jumped at the sound of her black heels hitting the ground. They followed her quickly, trying not to get caught in the flowing chiffon green dress, as she walked from her room and down the corridor. She needed something to take her mind off the feelings springing back up, of the memories of her family coming back to her. She needed something to make her feel better.

There was one place in Hell that could do that.

She stopped at a doorway and placed her hand on the knob.

"My liege, what are you doing here?" A demon quickly rushed over to her, "We were not expecting you for another..."

"Do not finish that sentence if you want to keep your tongue." Melinda warned the demon and then opened the door. She smiled evilly, as she looked at the man that hung from the chains. She picked up the sharpest knife from the tray that magically appeared by the door. That was the rule that Alistair had taught her. Never the largest, but the sharpest to start with.

Walking around the man in chains, she ran the blade of the knife along his neck. He let out a moan of pain, but had clearly been through a number of rounds of torture already that day. The moan wasn't enough, so she grabbed the man's dark hair, pulling it back harshly and looking into his brown eyes. She ran the knife down his cheek, her eyes glistening at the sight of his blood.

"Please..."

"Please what?" Melinda asked him with a mocking tone. She walked around him so she could look into his dark brown eyes. This man had been with her for 60 years now. And he hadn't broken yet. She didn't really care if he ever did. It was fun doing this. It was always fun when she had known the person in her human life. This was one man that had remained in her memories, mainly because he'd come to Hell long before her own memories started fading. Long before her humanity had disappeared.

"Mel, please," the man begged, "Don't give into all this."

"It's too late. I gave in a long time ago," Mel laughed, "Now, when will you, Riley?"

The half-manitcore looked at her with sadness in his eyes. He would never give in, and deep down Mel knew that.

***LINE BREAK HERE***

Dean slammed the laptop closed, making Dana jump as she walked through from the kitchen into the living room. He didn't apologize. He never did for his mood swings, and certainly not to the whitelighter who couldn't save his girlfriend.

For the last 10 months, Dean had blamed Dana for not helping. At least, partially blaming her. When she and Chris went through with their wedding, he refused to be any part of it. They were moving on, while Mel was rotting in the ground, her soul stuck in Hell. They didn't care that she'd given up her life to save them; to save her niece. Throughout the wedding day, Dean locked himself in the apartment he'd once shared with Mel and drank himself into a stupor. Sam had found him the next morning, completely passed out.

The last 10 months had passed in a blur; a drunken blur. He remained as sober as possible for the first month, searching for any answer and idea. But eventually, he realized that it was turning into a lost cause. Hearing that time moved much quicker down there had pushed him to find her, but it wasn't possible. By now, Mel had been in Hell for a century, and part of him knew that she would have given in by now. He would have done. What's the point when you don't think anyone is going to come to save you?

There had been renewed hope around the four month mark, but then Riley went missing. Pru had gone in search for her boyfriend, who she believed was still alive and just taken, but everyone else had given up. Everyone had given up on his girlfriend. Could he even call her his girlfriend anymore? She'd been dead for longer than they'd been together.

Standing from the dining table, Dean sighed and walked into the kitchen. The room went silent as soon as he walked in. Leo, Chris and Sam had clearly been discussing him. He didn't care anymore. He grabbed a glass from the cupboard, followed by the unopened bottle of scotch on the counter. The only reason it was unopened was because there was a just empty bottle next to it. This was what he'd survived on for the last 10 months. Liquid breakfasts, lunches and dinners.

He couldn't help but chuckle to himself. He had become Melinda when he turned up on the Halliwell's doorstep over a year ago.

"Dean?" Sam's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. He could see the worried look in Sam's eyes. In fact, there was a worried look in everyone's eyes.

"What, Sam?" Dean said it with a harsh sound in his voice. He didn't mean it to come out that way. He didn't think so anyway. But he couldn't look at his brother that much anymore. Sam had given up just like everyone else. He was leaving Melinda to rot in Hell; going through God only knew what torture. He wondered whether Crowley had performed the torture himself or got his minions to do it. Minions had done it when it was Dean, but maybe it was different in Hell. Maybe it was different because it was Melinda, and Crowley knew it would hurt Dean even more.

"When did you last eat something?" Sam now asked. Dean glanced down at the glass of scotch and shrugged his shoulders. He wasn't that sure when his last meal was. Honestly, he didn't really care. There was only one thing he cared about right now.

"Dean, you should sit and eat something," Chris sighed and stood from the kitchen table, "I'll make you something. What do you want?"

"I'm not hungry." Dean brushed off the younger Halliwell brother, and started making his way out of the kitchen.

"Dean, son..." Leo started.

"You're not my father, so don't call me son," Dean shook his head, anger now in his eyes, "You do have a daughter, though, one you're letting rot in Hell. Well, 'm not, Leo. 'Ma save her. I still dunno how, but 'll do it. I promised you I'd save her and I will..."

"That promise was made over something completely different, Dean, and you did save her," Leo sighed, "You helped her more than any of us could and I'm grateful for that. Now I'm worried about you. You're going down the same path she was going down. Don't do this to yourself."

"Maybe if people helped then..."

"There is no saving her, Dean," Sam spoke softly. He hated having this conversation time and time again, but Dean wasn't having any of it. He refused to accept that his girlfriend was dead and not coming back. It hadn't helped that Sam and Chris had agreed they couldn't tell Dean about the failed attempt to save her last month. Sam promised himself that he'd tell him, once Dean had accepted she was gone by himself, "She's gone and you need to accept that."

"How can I let her stay in Hell, Sam?" Dean shook his head, "What type of boyfriend would that make me? I love her, Sam. 'm so in love with her, it hurts. Every goddamn day. I'm not giving up on her. Just like I'd never give up on you if you were the one in Hell."

With that, Dean walked out of the room, but not back to the dining room. He went to the garage. Mel's Mustang was there, all built up again. Dean had repaired it, ready for her when she came back. Yes, it was _when_. She was coming back to him. He just needed to work out how that was going to work.

The car needed to be taken out on the roads. It deserved to be driven now and then. Pulling the set of keys out of his pocket—they were there as a reminder of her—he put the glass of scotch down and climbed into the car. One trip out wouldn't hurt. And he had the destination in mind already.

* * *

 **At some point, Mel and Dean will be reunited in this story. I'm just not going to share how or what will happen. I just wanted to let you know that they will come across each other again.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm so sorry for the delay in this. I honestly don't have an excuse, because I really just didn't realize that I hadn't updated! Here's the next chapter. I promise to post at least weekly from now on.**

Chapter 2

Crowley's plan was working out just nicely. For the last 10 months in terms of Earth years, he had become the King of Hell, got his queen and was working on destroying the Winchesters and Halliwells for good. They were all broken since losing both Melinda and Holly. Some of them more than others.

The one that made him really smile was seeing the broken soul that Dean Winchester was becoming. He spent every day searching for ways to get Melinda out of Hell. He could try all he wanted, but Crowley was not going to let her go. Not without a fight.

"Sir, the queen would like an audience with you." A young looking demon bowed as he spoke. The demons knew what would happen if they didn't show him some respect. Getting a Halliwell down in Hell certainly did the trick. Getting two down—one of which had broken quickly—was just perfect, especially since Lilith was dead.

"Well, send her in, you mook!" Crowley growled at the demon and stood as Melinda walked in. She had a swagger about her, as her heels hit the ground in an even pattern. She had grown into her demonic powers throughout the Hell years. It hadn't taken long for her to get rid of her humanity. It was like she didn't want to be Melinda Halliwell anymore. But she didn't want to jump into someone else's body.

When she was ready, Crowley had given her a surprise. He had stolen her body from her coffin and put it on ice. She was ready to jump back into her own body as soon as she wanted. It didn't take long for her to take over her own body again rather than be the black smoke that she would have been on Earth. Crowley was extremely happy to see a smile on her features again, even if it was just for a short period of time.

He could tell that she didn't really like being in Hell. As much as she loved being treated as royalty—as any queen should—she missed being on Earth. She missed the sun, and Crowley would soon allow her to go up. It was time, anyway.

"I'm bored." Melinda stated matter-of-factly, after kissing him quickly.

"Well, munchkin, how about we go to Earth and reek some havoc?"

Melinda's eyes lit up. He could see the excitement in her green orbs, "Earth? Really?"

"I have some business to attend to up there, and I thought you might like to take a visit."

"What's the catch," Mel sighed, placing her hands on her hips. Crowley tried to look like there wasn't an ulterior motive but he couldn't pull it off. Truth be told, he didn't want to play little mind games with his queen, "Spit it out."

"Now that is no way to talk to your king," Mel didn't budge, though. She looked at the King of Hell with disdain in her eyes, "I have someone up there who I want down here. You actually saved him from Hell the first time."

Melinda frowned for a moment, thinking back to her old life. It was full of faceless innocents, after 100 years of Hell. But the more she watched the smirk on Crowley's face, the more she realized who he meant.

"Dean Winchester."

"And I know exactly where he is." Crowley nodded his head, smirking at the idea of seeing this reunion.

* * *

Dean glared at the plaque in the crypt. When he needed to clear his head and get away from the Halliwells he came here. The only reason he was still with the Halliwells was because it was close to Mel's body. He figured he'd need it when he saved Mel. Not that there was still a body in this coffin. It was a decomposing mess now, but if he could find a way to get Mel's soul out of Hell, he could then work on putting her back in her body.

"I'm trying, Mel, I really am." Dean told the plaque, placing his hands over the engraved letters. It was a simple plaque, one that her brothers knew she would prefer.

 _Melinda Grace Halliwell_

 _Beloved daughter, sister, niece and cousin_

 _March 1, 1986-December 18, 2008_

She was just 22 years old. Death had taken her far too early, and Dean was partially to blame.

Not fully to blame. He was willing to admit that. Even if Dean had never come to the Halliwells for help to get out of his Hell deal, Lilith would have likely come after the Halliwell kids. That wasn't to get at Dean—not completely. Well, Dean would have likely broken and that other first seal wouldn't have been needed, but she may have chosen to break that seal in the end. And there were other demons out there.

The Halliwells fought just as many demons as the Winchesters did. Mel could have ended up facing hellhounds in the end.

And she'd stupidly gone off allowing them to chase her. She wanted Dean to save her niece, and laid down her life for that.

That had been why Riley was so gung-ho about saving Melinda. He felt some responsibility. Riley had been able to see the hellhounds. He'd have seen the attack as it happened, and would have seen Melinda getting ripped to shreds.

"I'm so sorry, Mel." Dean allowed a tear to fall down his cheek.

"It's okay, sweetheart," Melinda's voice taunted him. He would hear her speaking to him now and then, but this sounded so much more real than ever before. He'd forgotten just how her voice had sounded over the years, but this was clear. It was her, "I found my way back."

Dean turned around to see Melinda standing there. She was alive and she looked absolutely gorgeous. Her green eyes sparkled, matching the color of her long, flowing dress. And the black heels that went with the dress...

No, this had to be a dream. She wasn't here. Mel was in Hell. That's where she'd been for the last 10 months. Nobody had been able to pull her out.

But she stood there, looking like she'd just walked off the catwalk. It was like the last 10 months hadn't happened.

Mel's expression slowly changed from a smirk to a look of confusion. It was like she was getting her bearings, taking everything around her in. She looked at the different plaques on the walls, running her hands along each and every one of them until she stopped at one.

Dean could just watch as the brunette placed her hand on the plaque. He came up behind her to see that she was looking at Holly's plaque. It was another simple plaque that had Holly's name, date of birth and death and a short line about who she was. Dean didn't know what to do right now. Everything inside of him told him that this wasn't Melinda, but he wanted to believe that it was her. He wanted to believe that she'd somehow found a way out of Hell.

But how was she in her own body? Her body was a decomposing mess.

No, it had to be a shifter or reverent or something. It couldn't be a demon. A demon would have taken another meatsuit.

Unless a demon had jumped into her body 10 months ago. Was it possible that a demon had taken her body, knowing that she would never need it again?

Before he had a chance to do anything, the thing turned to face him with confusion in her eyes.

"Dean?" she looked deep into his green eyes, fear somewhere in her own, "I...I..." She started looking around again, as she tried to take everything in. All those thoughts about dealing with a shifter or demon went out of his mind.

This was Mel and she was scared. She'd just gotten out of Hell. Of course she was scared. He no longer cared how it happened. He just knew that he had to help her.

"Mel." Dean spoke but his voice was quiet. Her hands reached up to his face, as she felt to make sure that it was him. Dean couldn't help but do the same. And then he did something he wasn't sure if he'd ever do again. He kissed her.

Mel seemed taken aback at first, but soon fell back into old patterns. She returned the kiss, pulling Dean closer to her. She couldn't help it. Her instincts told her to do this; welcomed the warmth from his body.

He felt her clinging to him, as if she was grasping onto the world, like he was her anchor to keep her from returning to Hell. And he couldn't help but wrap his arms around her tightly. He wasn't letting her go back. Not now. Not ever.

* * *

Crowley watched with jealousy in his dark eyes. He had told her to do anything she needed to make sure Dean trusted her again, but he wasn't happy that she was back with Dean Winchester.

He had to remember that she'd been his queen for 80 years now. They had a life in Hell together. Getting to Dean was just a way to lure him into Hell; the place that he belonged a year ago.

Crowley would get that soul. He was sure of it.

* * *

 **I hope there are still some readers out there considering the length of time it's been since the last update. I'd love to know what you thought of this chapter.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey. Thanks for the review on the last chapter Gabyhyatt. I know I promised this last week. My baby brain was completely playing up. Trying to get it up now before I forget what I'm doing again!**

Chapter 3

Dean was far too happy to have Mel back to even consider that there was something wrong. There couldn't be anything wrong. She was confused. But she'd just spent the last 10 months in Hell, so being confused was expected.

But she was here, now.

They'd spent the last hour or so sitting in the crypt catching up and making out. Well, Dean had told her all about how he'd tried to save her and that Castiel had said something about trying to pull her out of Hell.

Melinda just watched Dean, listening to him. She knew that the angel had come down to Hell, but Dean clearly didn't realize. Maybe the angel had been killed after all. The demon that had stabbed him said he got away, but maybe it was to die. But Melinda was going to play on his thoughts that Castiel had succeeded.

"Do you think that's what happened?" Melinda had asked.

Dean's eyes widened. He soon realized she didn't even know how she'd gotten out of Hell or how she was in her own body. Taking her small hands in his own large ones, he looked into her eyes, "What do you remember?"

Melinda and Crowley had arranged a story, knowing that the question would come up. It was time to test her real acting abilities.

"I...I remember the hellhounds and vaguely remember you being there. Then it was black. It's all just black until well, when I just sort of appeared," Mel shrugged her shoulders, placing her hand on Dean's face again, "How did you know I'd be here?"

"I didn't," Dean shook his head, "I come here from time to time. I've been trying everything to bring you back, even thought about my soul to do it. I knew you wouldn't want me doing that, but...well I just needed you back. I'm just so happy you're back. I don't think I really care how it happened."

Part of him was telling the truth right now. He didn't really care, because he was just happen that his girlfriend was back. He'd worry about the how once he got her back to the others, not that he wanted to go anywhere right now. He was going to be selfish and take up some more of her time; just the two of them. There were still questions that he had.

"What I don't get is that you're in your body," Dean shook his head, "And dressed like this."

"I wish I knew, Dean, I really do." Mel ran her hands through her brunette locks, as she stood up and started pacing the floor of the crypt. She needed to keep up the confusion. Dean and her family—yes, she knew she'd have to deal with them—would be able to work it all out for her. She needed to gain Dean's trust, and that was just what she was doing.

When she had made the deal with Crowley to bring Dean Winchester to Hell, she knew it wasn't going to be easy. She had to remember the man that he had been for her when she was on Earth.

It turned out only 10 months had passed on Earth—how that happened she didn't know and she didn't care—and it turned out that he hadn't moved on. She knew the best way to get him to Hell was to play on his feelings for her. He loved her—was in love with her—and she just had to pretend that she felt the same way.

It all seemed like it would be so easy, until she saw the man. Her memories and feelings started flooding back.

The memories from 100 years—not just 10 months—ago. Her love for Dean, and her death at the paws of the hellhounds. She remembered saving him from his deal, and the time that she was almost turned evil thanks to Crowley.

She remembered her family, and her love for them. Most importantly, she remembered how much she had loved Dean Winchester. Humanity was coming back completely. Being around Dean was bringing it all back, and inside she was becoming conflicted and confused. Crowley had been right to keep her in Hell this whole time. She obviously needed longer.

He was getting under her skin, already, and she was willing to let it happen. He made her feel something that Crowley hadn't made her feel, ever. She felt happiness. She felt safe.

But the demon inside of her was still there. All she felt was her humanity. She remembered what it was like to be human. But she was still a demon and there was still a darkness in her soul, and she had work to do while she was here. Right now, she was working on that.

"How's Pru?" Mel asked, looking at the crypt of her Aunt Prue.

"I haven't seen Pru for a while," Dean answered honestly, "Poppy says that she's still alive, but…well I was too busy trying to find you and I guess she's trying to find Riley. I think she needs to know you're back. There's hope then that Riley is alive. Riley is alive, right? Please tell me you've seen or heard him?"

Mel shook her head with a frown, pretending that she'd still couldn't remember anything, "I don't know, Dean. I'm sorry." Crocodile tears started, as she pretended to be so frustrated at herself and the situation. Dean rushed to his feet, grabbing her and pulling her into a hug.

"It's okay. Shh, it's okay," he whispered to her, "Let's get you back to the Manor. Once…"

"I can't see them," Mel suddenly looked at him in fear, "They'd never believe that I was back. They'd…well…"

"They need to see you, Mel. They'll want to see you." Dean explained to her.

Shaking her head, Melinda ran her hands through her hair. Suddenly, it felt like she couldn't breathe. This wasn't acting any more. The humanity was taking over, and she needed out of here; away from everything. This wasn't going to be as simple as she'd hoped. Most importantly, she really wanted out of this dress. A pair of jeans and a comfy t-shirt would be perfect.

"I need some different clothes," Mel now said, looking at Dean, "My family definitely can't see me like this."

Dean agreed with her on that one. It would be best if she was dressed in something a little less sexy. Not that Dean was complaining right now. After the last hour of trying to find out about Hell—and failing miserably because she didn't remember anything—he'd started taking in all her features again. Now he wanted to kiss her all over and show her how much he missed her and still loved her. He wanted to show her how much he meant to her.

"Let's go shopping." Dean nodded his head and pulled her towards the door of the crypt.

Being outside was easier. The air helped her remember why she was here and who she was here for.

Glancing around the cemetery, she looked to see if Crowley had been watching them. She knew that he would watch at first. He would want to make sure she'd found Dean and he hadn't tried using any holy water. That was something both thought would happen. Dean was a hunter. He should have done all the regular tests to make sure she was really Melinda.

But he hadn't. He'd not even bothered. All he'd cared about was seeing her again.

It was clear that he was just super excited about her being back. Dean wasn't one for wanting to shop. That was something she'd remembered now that she was back on Earth. He preferred to stay away from the shops, and would barely visit a clothes shop for himself. Clearly, he just wanted to spend time with the girlfriend he'd lost. But he would never have that girlfriend again.

Melinda suddenly stopped in her tracks. Dean was just ahead of her, but turned when he felt her hand leave his. He would never get the girlfriend he one had back. Even if she didn't choose to go along with Crowley's plan, he could never have the Melinda he once knew back. 100 years in Hell had completely changed her.

Dean turned to face her, grabbing her hand, "Hey, it's okay."

Looking up at him, she shook her head, tears glistening her green eyes. She couldn't tell anyone whether these were real or fake tears. Pulling her hand away from Dean, she looked around at her surroundings. There were too many thoughts and memories coming back; too much for her to take in.

And then she saw it. Something that pulled her right back to her old life.

"Mel?"

"My car!" Memories of her Mustang now flooded back to her. How could she forget this beauty? She'd rebuilt her from scratch after her car crash so many years—no months—ago. Dean had helped her. As if the car was still running. Dean had actually taken care of it.

Mel rushed over to it, running her hands over the hood.

"Oh, Baby, I've missed you," she sighed and then looked up at Dean, "You drive my car?"

"Now and then," Dean nodded, "She needs to get out. My baby gets a little jealous but she'll cope. She really will now you're back. Wanna drive her?"

Dean didn't even wait for an answer and threw her the car keys. But Mel didn't move. She just looked at the car and then at Dean.

"You drive." She wasn't going to let herself get attached to all this. It wasn't like she really needed to, anyway. She was a demon. She could get to locations in a blink of an eye right now. Throwing the keys back to Dean, she watched his facial expressions change from happy to confused. It wasn't like Mel to give up the chance to drive a classic car, and she wouldn't usually let someone else drive her car.

Mel sighed and looked down at her feet. Hopefully this was going to get some sort of message across. She hadn't really thought of an excuse yet.

"Oh right, shoes," Dean nodded his head, "C'mon, we'll get to the shops."

* * *

As Dean watched Melinda walk around the clothes shops, he started to get the feeling that something was off. It was almost like he was being watched. It was the first time he'd felt this way in a long time.

Mel didn't seem herself, completely. Of course, she'd been in Hell for 10 months—well, it would have been 100 years for her. He never had found out if she'd finally cracked, but it seemed like she hadn't.

He just wished he could have said the same about Holly. She'd broken within a week of being there. After 100 years, he wouldn't be surprised if she was a full demon now. Maybe she was giving Crowley a run for his money at ruling the whole place.

But right now, something seemed a little too off with Mel. She didn't seem like the confused, scared girl that she was back at the crypt. It was like she'd become a confident, young woman. She was calculating something in her head, and Dean couldn't help feel cautious about it. The knowledge of not doing the routine tests was at the forefront of his mind, but in the crypt it was all Mel.

Maybe it was just gathering her senses. She kept saying that she didn't remember Hell, but maybe she did. Soldiers came back from war like different people, and maybe that's what had happened to Mel. She remembered her 10 months in Hell, and couldn't talk about it; couldn't talk about the torture she would have gone through.

Her fingers ran across the railing with some dresses that hung from it. Dresses weren't Mel's usual style—at least, not the Mel that he'd remembered from 10 months ago. She liked the odd skirt, yes, but she preferred jeans. They were more practical, whether she was demon fighting or working on cars.

As if she'd remembered her old taste in clothes, Melinda walked to a table that had a pile of tops on it. It was a three layered table with different sizes up the layers, and a top half of a mannequin at the top to show what the top was like on. It was a plain black t-shirt. Just something that the old Melinda Halliwell would love.

Picking up a couple of tops, she then moved to the jeans, and picked up a pair of straight cut ones. Dean had no idea what the straight cut sign meant, but they looked like ones that Melinda used to wear.

She turned to him and smiled, "There."

"Everything you need?"

"No!" Mel now remembered and looked down at her feet, "Shoes!" She handed him the clothes and rushed off towards the shoes department in the store. Dean just hung back watching her—and watching the people staring at her. Of course, she was dressed like she was going to prom. People wanted to know what was going on.

He suddenly realized that he'd been so lost in his thoughts he'd lost where she'd gone. Dean couldn't lose her again just after getting her back, and he went into hunter mode looking around. She couldn't be that hard to miss.

Rushing towards the back of the store to the shoes, Dean looked out for the flowing green dress. He looked for any sign that his girlfriend was here somewhere, and hadn't been taken. He couldn't help fear that she'd somehow escaped from Hell and now demons were coming to get her back.

* * *

As Dean searched around the store, Melinda had made her way to Hell. She had business to attend to.

"This isn't going to be as easy as I thought," Mel shook her head, deciding not to get into it all with the man she now called her lover. She hated the thought of that word, but it had been the word for the past eight decades, "Everything from my old life is pretty much gone. I'll be stuck at the Manor for a while."

"I'm sure you'll have fun playing house. I thought you said you were bored down here." Crowley waved her off. Melinda just shook her head and clicked her fingers. She was gone.

But Crowley didn't trust her. He had a feeling that the humanity was coming back. Clicking his fingers, a blonde-haired woman appeared in front of him.

"Follow her. Make sure she goes through with this."

"Yes, Sire." The demon nodded and disappeared from Crowley.

* * *

Dean still hadn't found her. The shoe section wasn't that big. She had to be here somewhere. But she wasn't and Dean had this sinking feeling that one of two things had happened. She'd either been taken back or she was playing him. He didn't know which one he would rather have. If she'd been taken, then she wasn't evil. If she'd been playing with him, she was at least somewhat safe for her.

"Dean, what are you doing?" Her voice called out to him from behind him. He turned around sharply, to see her holding up a pair of converse.

"Oh thank God!" Dean exclaimed, placing the clothes down on a buffet and pulling his girlfriend—yes, he'd decided to stick with girlfriend. He kissed her hard, grabbing a handful of hair with one hand, "I thought I'd lost you again."

"I'm not going anywhere, Dean," Mel laughed, pulling away from him. It was the first time he'd heard her laugh since she came back, but it didn't sound quite right. There was a hint of...Dean couldn't quite place it. There was something in that laugh that made him frown, "What's up? I'm safe. I'm here. And I have shoes so we can go and pay."

Dean brushed off his feelings, putting them down to nerves. It must be hard for her right now. Picking up the clothes again, he pulled her along to the cashier and paid for her clothes with some pool money he'd won a few weeks ago. All his money either went on beer or books, since he barely left the house for any other reason, so he had a little to spare.

Luckily they wouldn't have to open bank accounts up for Mel again. One thing that Dean had refused to let happen was for her bank accounts to be closed. The business one had been transferred to Pru, but her main checking account was sort of in the hands of Dean. He'd told her brothers that he'd deal with closing it and even told them he had. But he'd put the bank card away and waited for her to return. She'd need something when she did come back.

As soon as they'd paid, Mel stalked out of the store and went towards a cafe. She needed food, Dean assumed—God only knew the last time she ate—and really wanted to get changed.

"What do you want me to get you?"

"Surprise me." Melinda shrugged with what looked like an attempt at a smile. Something was missing though. It didn't quite reach her eyes. Before Dean could kiss her, Mel left for the restroom and Dean had no choice but to grab something for her to eat. While he waited in the queue, Dean realized just how hungry he was. How long had it been since he'd eaten?

He wasn't too sure, so grabbed them both sandwiches. There wasn't much selection, but he wasn't sure it would matter. He ordered two coffees with the sandwiches and then looked for somewhere to sit down.

The sound of _Smoke on Water_ pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Hello?" Dean answered his phone. Sam was worried about him and Dean had now realized that he'd been gone for almost four hours. Of course Sam was worried. He was likely wondering whether Dean had decided to wrap himself around a fire hydrant today.

"Where are you, Dean?"

"Erm, in a cafe," Dean chuckled. He wasn't going to break the news about Mel right now, "I'm not gonna be too long now, Sammy."

"Hey, who's that?" Mel asked, sitting down at the table and grabbing one of the coffees. She sighed as if she was in Heaven when she took a mouthful.

"Who are you with?"

"Can I call you back, Sammy?" Dean asked, laughing at Mel's look of ecstasy as she tucked into the one of the sandwiches. The simple things in life, "Actually, can you get Leo, Chris and Wyatt at the Manor? I've got some news."

"Okay. Just drive safe, okay?"

"Always." Dean said instinctively before hanging up and placing his phone on the table. He grabbed one of Mel's hands.

"I wanna finish this first," Mel said, "Then I'll think about facing them."

"Take your time with it," Dean laughed, "Wouldn't want your first meal in 10 months coming back up, would we?"

While they sat, ate and drank coffee, neither realized that they were being watched. The blonde-haired demon sat towards the back of the cafe with a paper in her hands, watching the two of them carefully. She would report with news if she had it to Crowley, but right now she was focusing herself on the relationship her queen was building with Dean Winchester.

* * *

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It's a little of a slower paced one at the moment, but it will all pick up. I promise.**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: I found my USB stick with this fic on and realized how much I had written but never shared. So, I'm in the process of updating all my stories with chapters I have available and that includes this one. I'm sorry for leaving it so long!**

Chapter 4

Sam sat back in the chair, tapping his heel nervously. He had been so worried about his brother. Usually Dean would disappear for an hour or two at a time, unless he was looking for specialist books—but he would always say if he was looking at books or there'd be something on the laptop about a bookstore in town.

There'd been nothing like that.

One thing that he didn't expect was for his brother to sound semi-happy. Calling him 'Sammy' was a big giveaway. Dean hadn't called him 'Sammy' once in the last 10 months, ever since he focused himself on finding and saving Melinda. The sound of the woman's voice really threw him off. He thought he recognized it, but couldn't place it right that moment.

Chris and Leo were still in the house from earlier that day, so he'd only had to phone Wyatt. The eldest Halliwell brother hadn't been at the Manor that much since the death of his sister. At least after deciding that there was no way of bringing his sister back. It was the disappearance of Riley that had made him realize that. He was losing too many people around him, and his daughter needed him. It was time to lay his sister to rest and move on.

Dean hadn't been happy about that, but Sam wanted him to do the same. He needed his brother to realize that Melinda wasn't coming back. She was in Hell, and there was no out. Not until she became one of the things that they hunted and killed.

"Did he say what time he'd be back?" Chris asked, carrying a tray of drinks with him. He placed them on the coffee table and waited for everyone to pick up their coffees. Sam was the last, as he shook his head to answer Chris' question.

"He just said he wouldn't be long and for you guys to be here."

"You think he's found something out about Mel?" Wyatt asked, with hope clearly in his brown eyes.

"He'd be shouting that from the rooftop, Wyatt," Sam pointed out, shaking his head. He hated to see the hope disappear, but he couldn't let the 30-year-old get his hopes up like that.

"He will tell us when he gets here," Leo sighed, "Maybe he is giving up too and hopefully stopping all that drinking. I worry about him, Sam."

"Me too, Leo." Sam admitted. While he knew his brother loved his drink, he'd never seen him in this state. The man had clearly wanted to sell his soul to save Mel, but was drawing the line at that this time. But he was going to drink himself into an early grave.

"Hello!" Dean's voice called out from the front door as it opened and then slammed shut.

"In here." Sam shouted out. There was the sound of whispering coming from the hallway before Dean walked into the living room, smiling to see all of them there.

"What's going on?" Chris narrowed his eyes, looking at the man that he wondered in the past if he would call his brother-in-law. That time was gone now. Now he was just a heartbroken man who drank far too much.

"You guys will not believe who I ran into," Dean said and then looked at Sammy, starting a white lie, "And this isn't some trick. I've done all the tests."

"What are you talking about, Dean?" Sam asked with a frown, sitting forward as Dean rushed towards the archway to the hallway. He motioned with his head for someone to come in and then held out his hand.

"C'mon," Dean said, "Deep breath and see them. They want to see you."

And then she walked into the room. It took everyone's breath away as they saw the woman next to Dean. She'd barely changed, except maybe a tired look around her eyes and maybe a hint that there was a darkness about her.

"Me...Mel?" Wyatt was the first to talk, standing from the couch and walking over to his sister. He grabbed Mel's arms and looked into her green eyes, "Is it really you?"

"In the flesh." Mel nodded her head, just as Wyatt pulled her into a hug. He had tears running down his cheeks, as she tentatively hugged her big brother back. Wyatt pulled away, allowing Chris to hug his sister tight.

"How?" Chris just asked pulling back to look into her eyes, "How are you back?"

"I don't know." Melinda shrugged her shoulders and then looked at her dad. This was the first time she'd shown much emotion since coming back. She allowed tears to fall down her cheeks, making Dean smile sadly. The reunion was one thing she'd been worried about. It was why he'd asked Sam to only have Wyatt, Chris and Leo around. They were going to do this in small chunks, right now.

Leo grabbed his daughter and hugged her as tight as he could. He'd had to say goodbye to his little girl, but now she was back.

As she hugged Leo, Mel couldn't help but glance at Sam. She could see the distrust in his eyes. She knew out of everyone here, Sam was going to be the one that would be the hardest to convince she was human. He'd want proof that she wasn't some sort of monster.

"Sam, it's really her." Dean sensed the same as Mel. Sam didn't trust her and was wary about going towards her.

"You've done all the test? Silver, holy water...all of them."

"All of them, Sammy," Dean nodded, continuing the lie. He hadn't but he knew his girlfriend. All she needed was time to recover from the black hole from Hell. Dean wondered whether there were parts of Hell that she remembered but didn't really want to, "It's Mel. I don't know how she came to me but she did."

Sam continued to watch Melinda. He wasn't convinced. Something told him that his brother was lying to him and there was a chance this really wasn't the girl he once wouldn't have mind calling his sister-in-law.

Melinda closed the door to her bedroom behind her. She needed to escape the madness. Her brothers wouldn't leave her be and her dad was constantly asking her about Hell. They were not things that she wanted to go through.

Yes, she remember all of Hell. She remembered the first seven years of torture and the next 93 years of being the Queen of Hell. She remembered torturing innocent people, and causing Riley pain despite knowing he would never break. He wasn't dead anyway; had just been captured.

She didn't want to talk about Hell. And she didn't really want to spend time with her family. Melinda Halliwell had a job to do.

"I assume you will actually get that job done." A woman's voice asked. Melinda looked through the mirror in her room to see a blonde-haired woman sitting on her bed. This woman couldn't have been older than 20. Well, the meatsuit she was possessing couldn't have been. She could see through the meatsuit at the demonic face possessing it. And she knew exactly who it was.

"At what point do you think you have the audacity to talk to your queen like that?" Melinda asked, turning around.

"I'm sorry, my liege, but my master sent me here."

"Crowley," Melinda rolled her eyes, "You can tell him the only way Dean Winchester will come to Hell is if he believes that I'm telling the truth. He should know that will take time!"

"We do not want you falling for him, my _queen_." The girl replied. Melinda stalked towards the girl and placed her hands either side of her on the bed.

"Let me remind you of you who really are, _Holly_ ," Melinda now addressed her as her cousin, "I can send you back to the rack. You remember how much you hated the torture, don't you? You broke before me."

There was a flash of fear in the girl's blue eyes. _Good_ , Melinda thought to herself, _That will teach her_.

"Tell that _husband_ of mine that I don't need a babysitter," Melinda warned her cousin, "And if I find you following me again, I'll make sure the Winchesters and our family know who you really are and what's become of you."

"You wouldn't be able to do that without giving away your own past."

"That's what you think," Melinda smirked evilly, "I'm not the one possessing some poor coma patient."

With that, Holly disappeared just as the door to the room opened. Melinda sighed and threw herself on her bed as Dean walked into the room.

"Did I hear you talking to someone?"

"Just talking to myself." Mel waved him off with a smile. He bought it—at least seemed to. She was going to have to be a little more careful. The walls in the Manor were much thinner than the walls that were in her palace in Hell. One thing Crowley had done was turn their lodgings in Hell into something they could enjoy. Who said Hell was all fire and brimstone?

Dean closed the bedroom door and walked over to the bed. Climbing so that he straddled Melinda's back, he started rubbing her shoulders and massaging her upper back. She moaned in pleasure at the touch. She'd had good massages in Hell, but Dean's hands seemed to have the magic touch. And it had been such a stressful day.

"So, today hasn't been that bad, has it?" Dean now asked, while he worked on the knots in her shoulder blades.

"I guess not," Mel sighed, "I'm just...I don't think your brother trusts me."

"It will take a while for Sam," Dean admitted, "If it was the other way around, it would be the same for me. I'd need to know that you were really you."

Dean replaced his hands with his lips, leaving butterfly kisses along Melinda's neck and back. The young Halliwell couldn't help but sigh in pleasure. The heat was pooling in her stomach, and right now she only wanted and cared about one thing. She wanted her boyfriend again. She wanted to feel like she had before her death.

Melinda shifted herself so she could lay facing Dean, and then pulled him down to her. Dean wasn't one to complain right now, and he deepened their passionate kiss. He couldn't help but run his hand through her hair, before attacking her neck and ear with his lips. He licked and nibbled, hearing her moan in pleasure. It made Dean hard knowing that his girlfriend still wanted him.

It didn't take long for him to get her out of her new clothes, and then he went back to kissing parts of her body.

"Dean, will you fuck me already!" Melinda pleaded with an animalist growl. Dean just raised his eyebrows with a smirk before getting himself out of his own clothes.

Melinda decided she wasn't giving him a chance to tease anymore. She forced them to switch positions, straddling his waist.

"It has been way too long for messing around." Mel pointed out and then lowered herself onto him. 10 months of purity had done a number on him. The feeling of her around him again was immense and he couldn't help but bite his lip as she moved herself up and down on him. His hands worked into her hips, with one thumb moving to play with her clit. He wasn't going to last long, but she needed to have an orgasm. If he had his own way, he'd have given her one before they even got started with this.

Mel quickened the pace, placing her hands on Dean's chest for stability. Her nails dug into him as the pleasure built inside him.

"Tell me you're close, Mel." Dean said in a whisper. He sort of heard a confirmation from her, just as he felt himself going over the edge. He spilled his seed inside her, while her muscles clamped around him.

"Oh, God!" She called out before her body shuddered and she collapsed on top of him. He could feel her muscles pulsing around him as they caught their breaths.

"I told you before that you can call me Dean, you know?" He winked as she rolled off him and just laughed.

"Okay, joker," Mel rolled her eyes, "Get your breath back and we can go for round two, if you want."

Dean wasn't going to complain at that idea. Not at all.

* * *

 **AN: I definitely have more, so if there are still people interested in the story then do let me know! I'll try to get the next chapter posted early next week.**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: It's so great to see there's still an interest in this story. I'm trying to update weekly. It's not always going to happen, but I am trying!**

Chapter 5

Melinda glanced over at the sleeping man beside her. Now that she was a demon there was no need for her to sleep. Part of her missed that. She missed the dreams and the break from the world around her, but she wondered if she would actually dream anything good anyway. What was there that was good in her life.

The man that she had loved once upon a time was being tricked into a one-way ticket into Hell.

Of course, she could give up on this journey. She could choose to stay with Dean right now, but eventually Crowley would come after her and she didn't want that. She didn't want the sleeping man next to her to realize that she was luring him to Hell—not until the very last minute.

Sighing, Melinda untangled herself from Dean's arms and made her way out of the bedroom. It was a good job that he was still a deep sleeper.

She made her way down the stairs of the Manor, glancing at the odd photo on the way down. There were a few news ones up since her departure 10 months ago. One of those was of Chris and Dana's wedding day. It turned out that they had married then. Mel had found out that Dean refused to attend. He thought they should have held off until she was back, but how did they know she would ever come back.

It's not like she was the same person now anyway. She didn't care about her family. At least, that was what she was telling herself. Despite 100 years in Hell, she could tell that her humanity was seeping through.

She'd heard of this happening to others. There was a demon called Ruby who had kept hold of some of her humanity. And that demon had been in Hell since the height of the plague. As soon as Mel heard the name, she'd known who it was. It was that same demon that she'd killed last year when she was fuelled by that poison turning her evil. Sam had eventually forgiven her for those actions, but it had taken a while. This was a girl who was helping Sam save Dean—or at least had said she was.

It was possible to keep hold of your humanity while in Hell. But it was so much easier to forget about everything. Hell stripped people of everything that made them human.

But it hadn't done that with Mel. It just made her hate herself and those around her. The only time she felt like she really belonged was with Dean.

"I expected you to have brought him to me by now, Princess." That voice spoke to her again. It grated on her every time she heard it. If only she could shut the English bastard up already.

"I told you it will take time."

"How much time? I don't have all of time."

"Actually, you do."

"Well, I don't want to play this game of cat and mouse. I've played it long enough." Crowley warned the Halliwell, as she grabbed a beer from the fridge and opened it. Without taking her eyes off the man in front of her, she took a long drink from the bottle.

"Think of it as foreplay for me," Melinda shrugged her shoulders, "You want me to get all hot and bothered, right? Want me to have some fun while I seal the deal."

She walked over to Crowley, looking up at him with a sexy but sadistic smile. He laughed once and nodded, "I guess you can have some fun, Munchkin. But don't leave it too long. I don't like having a cold bed at night."

"I'm sure you'll find one of your whores to keep you warm."

"That's just tacky," Crowley shook his head, "I don't pay, sweetheart."

With that Crowley was gone again, and Melinda shuddered. She hated thinking about being in the bed with him. Now she remembered. When she first started sleeping with him, she pretended that it was Dean in bed with her. Over the years, she learned not to even care. She was getting laid and that was all that mattered. Now it was just a case of business really. Sex didn't bring the happiness that it once did.

At least, it didn't until she came back and found herself back in Dean's embrace. He knew how to make her feel.

"Mel?" Dean's sleepy voice called out to her as he walked into the kitchen. He was dressed in a pair of sweats, without a top. Biting her lip, she just raked her eyes over her body. God he was hot, "There you are."

"Yeah, couldn't sleep." Well, she wasn't technically lying. Dean just sighed and saw that she had a beer in her hand. He wasn't going to complain really, but he didn't like the idea of waking up without her again. The last few hours had been peaceful. He didn't picture his girlfriend in Hell anymore. He didn't see demons fighting over her, as she was forced to perform all sorts of sexual acts on them. He didn't see the knives or the blood. His sleep was undisturbed until he rolled over to realize that his girlfriend was no longer in his arms. And he didn't like that feeling.

Dean grabbed a beer out of the fridge for himself and led them both into the living room. They were at least going to sit in comfort while they drank. And Dean wanted to know what was going on in that little head of hers.

"Talk to me, Mel," Dean sighed as he watched her stare off into the distance, "What's bothering you?" It sounded like a stupid question, but he just wasn't that sure right now. He needed to know if it was just being back, or if there was something more. Did she remember Hell? Is that why she struggled to sleep?

Spending 100 years being tortured—he'd hoped that she hadn't broken—would play tricks on the mind now. How many nightmares had she had during the night? Is that what had made her get up and decide to start drinking at two in the morning?

"I don't want to talk, Dean," Mel shook her head, "Can we just drink?"

Dean sighed. Could he really let this go? If it was Sam, he knew that wouldn't be the case. He would keep digging and prodding until Sam had told him the truth. He wanted to do the same with Melinda, but would she talk? Mel wasn't Sam. Mel was a girl who liked to bottle up her feelings. Hell, she was a female version of Dean. And he knew that if he was going through mental hell, he would bottle it up—and no amount of prying would get him to talk until he was ready to.

"Telling the rest of the family won't be as easy as it was telling my dad and brothers." Mel now said, making Dean look at her with a frown. When she did start speaking, he didn't expect it to be this.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Hen and Haley lost their sister," Mel sighed, "No-one's really mentioned her yet but I'm guessing she's not come back," when Dean didn't answer, Mel continued, "And Riley is missing, so Pru won't really want to talk to me. He went missing looking for me, didn't he?"

"Mel, you can't blame yourself."

"I don't," Mel shook her head, surprising Dean again, "It's not my fault he went looking for me. That was his decision. But...But Pru will blame me."

"No-one is going to blame you!" Dean put his now empty beer bottle on the coffee table and turned so he could look into Mel's eyes. He placed on hand on her face, making sure she couldn't turn her head away from him, "You didn't choose to die and you definitely didn't choose to go to Hell. Pru will be happy to see you. So will Hen and Haley, and your Aunt Paige and Uncle Henry. Everyone will be happy you're back, Mel."

"Sam isn't that happy." Mel shrugged her shoulders.

"Sam's just worried," Dean sighed, "He wants to make sure...well...he wants..."

"He wants to make sure I'm not a demon. I know," Mel nodded her head, "You shouldn't have lied to him about doing all the tests."

"Do you really wanna be doused in holy water for no reason?" Dean asked with a laugh, kissing her on the forehead, "Or sliced with a silver knife? I know you, Mel. You're not a demon."

With that, Dean stood up and took the bottle from her hands. After placing them in the trash in the kitchen, he tried to pull her back up to bed. But Mel needed time to herself. She wanted to think things through. There was nothing the blonde-haired Winchester could do. He shrugged his shoulders and kissed her goodnight, before walking up the stairs.

Mel watched him leave, narrowing her eyes as he disappeared up the stairs. She hadn't been worried about meeting her family, but she would need to make sure Sam didn't get in the way of her plans. The good news was she could take care of that hunter quite easily.

"If Dean said he did the tests, he did them, Sam," Bobby sighed on the phone, "He's not a complete idjit. He wouldn't let a demon walk into your lives."

"But you haven't seen what he's been like the past 10 months, Bobby." Sam sighed, moving the phone to the other hand as he jotted something down on the notepad. He'd decided Bobby needed to know about Mel's surprise resurrection after researching all the things that could raise someone from Hell. There wasn't much, and most texts suggested that the only thing that would raise someone from Hell was Lucifer himself. But Lucifer was stuck in a cage.

At least Sam believed that was still the case. 10 months ago they'd killed the First Demon. They'd stopped her breaking the first seal, and made it impossible for her to break any others. And nobody else could release Satan, right?

"He's missed her, Sam," Bobby sighed, "Your brother can be a lot like your daddy at times." Sam hated to believe it, but he knew it was true. John Winchester had spent 23 years going after the demon that had killed Mary. He'd raised his kids in the world of hunting and the supernatural for his revenge.

Dean couldn't get revenge. The demon that had sent the hellhounds was dead, and he couldn't exactly kill hellhounds. They couldn't see them!

But Dean could work on getting Melinda back. And that he did for 10 months. If he wasn't researching, he was drinking. He'd pushed away suggestions of going on hunts, even when it was clearly one of their gigs, unless it could possibly lead them to Mel. He had partially become their father, and it was a scary thought. It was something Dean had never wanted to happen. It was something Sam had never wanted to happen for his brother, and never really thought possible until 10 months ago.

"I don't know what to do, Bobby."

"I'm gonna come see you boys," Bobby made it clear that it wasn't a request to find out if Sam wanted him there. The aging hunter was coming and that was it, "We can go from there."

"Thanks, Bobby."

"Now get some sleep, you idjit," Bobby commanded, "I don't want to deal with a sleep deprived giant."

Sam chuckled at the man and agreed to go to bed. In fact, once he hung up on the phone, the younger Winchester brother did go to sleep. But it wasn't a restful sleep. For the first night in a long time he suffered from a nightmare. It shouldn't have been that much of a surprise for him. He was worried. Very worried.

What if Melinda Halliwell wasn't the same girl she was 10 months ago? It was certainly likely. Demon or no demon, she'd been in Hell for 10 months. Who knew what she'd been subjected to?

* * *

 **AN: Who's excited for Bobby to return? As usual, I love to know what you think, good or bad, so please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I'm back! Thank you for reviewing the last chapter. Now it's time to get on with the story!**

Chapter 6

Dean blocked the attack with his left arm and then tried to swing in right arm around. But the woman in front of him was quicker. She grasped his arm and twisted it to the side. It gave her the opening to kick him in the stomach, forcing him to stumble backwards with a grunt.

Quickly getting his balance back, he charged towards the brunette. But she twisted and kicked her left leg out, connecting with his chest.

Dean suddenly felt the air leave his body. He stumbled and grabbed his chest and fell to his knees, trying to get the breath back in. Damn, he was out of practice.

"Are you okay?"

Dean looked up into the green eyes of his 'attacker'. She wasn't exactly an attacker, though.

"I'm fine, Mel," Dean sighed, "Just winded."

He stood back up to prove that he was fine, and then smiled.

"Looks like someone isn't out of practice. Guessing you had to fight a few demons off while in Hell."

Mel's soft features turned into a harsh frown. Dean couldn't help but feel guilty. She kept saying she didn't remember Hell, but Dean had an idea that it was something she was choosing to forget. Him bringing it up now and then wasn't really helping.

"You know I don't remember it, Dean," she said quietly, "But it looks like you are out of practice. Want to keep going?"

"I need a drink first." Dean shook his head. They could get back to training later. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to get her back into fighting so soon after coming back from Hell. He had hoped that it would help both of them. Dean would feel like the old Dean again, and Mel would feel safer. He'd guessed that was partially the reason for her not coming back to bed last night.

Dean had woken up at 5:30 to find that she still wasn't in the bed with him. When he went downstairs, he worried when she wasn't in the living room or kitchen. He'd checked to see that the Mustang was still in the driveway, where he'd left it last night, and his Impala was in the garage. There were only two places that he thought were possible. He checked the basement first and found her working out some frustration on the punching bag. Judging by the sweat running down her body, she had been there for some time and showed no sign of letting up. That's when Dean suggested they spar against each other. It was one of the things he missed over the last 10 months.

Dean walked up the stairs to the kitchen, half expecting it to be empty. But everyone was gathered round. By everyone, he meant everyone who lived there. The faces he'd been used to seeing right now. Leo, Chris and Dana sat around the small kitchen table, drinking coffee.

Dana glanced over with a worried look in her eyes, and Dean felt two hands grasp his sweaty t-shirt. The two girls were clearly worried about each other. This had been the first chance Dana and Mel got to see each other after his girlfriend coming back from the dead. Dana had been dealing with a charge, and Mel and Dean had chosen to turn in for the night before she got back. He'd guessed that Chris had filled her in when he got a chance.

"It's great to see you, Mel." Dana finally spoke.

"You, too." Mel nodded and then kissed Dean on the cheek before walking out of the room. Dean sighed disappointedly. This wasn't going to be as easy as he'd hoped. The family was weary and Mel was clearly worried. He would need to play the gap between everyone. It wasn't like he wasn't used to doing that. He regularly played the bridge between his father and his brother. How would this be any different?

"You've already got her training?" Chris now asked, standing up and pulling out pans to make a start on breakfast.

"She was down there when I woke up this morning," Dean explained, "She didn't sleep so great."

"I'm not surprised," Leo admitted with a sigh, "10 months in Hell is like 100 years. I don't want to think what my poor little girl has been through in that time."

"You and me both, Leo," Dean admitted, grabbing himself some coffee and sitting down. There was one person who would be able to help bridge the gap between Mel and the rest of the family, "I'm trying. I was hoping sparing with her would get her talking about it but she keeps telling me that she doesn't remember. Judging by last night, I'm not sure how much truth is in that. When she was in bed, it was a restless sleep."

"It may be her subconscious," Dana explained, a little more at ease now that Melinda was out of the room, "She may remember things in her dreams and they may be slowly coming back to her. Think of it like any difficult event. How well do you remember the torture you suffered last year?"

"Not much." Dean had glimpses in his dreams now and then but his memory had automatically suppressed so much from that month of the sewers. He didn't really want to get the memories back, but they still came to him in the form of nightmares now and then.

"Our brains have a way to protect us from the worst things in life," Leo nodded his head with a small smile, "Hopefully, Mel's brain will protect her from the majority of Hell and she can get back to living her life."

"Maybe you should hold off the training," Chris pointed out, beating the eggs in a jug, "That's not going to help her."

"But she needs to be ready," Dean sighed, "We have no idea how she came back and demons could attack any day now to get her back."

"The best thing to do is let the whole family know," Dana suggested, "If everyone knows, they're all ready should demons come to take her back to Hell."

Dean knew that would be the best thing to do. The question was whether Melinda really wanted it to happen right now.

Mel let the warm water run over her body. The training had been good. It felt great to get back into it with Dean, and just go back into some sort of normal routine. Now if only he would stop asking her about Hell.

Of course she still had her skills. And it wasn't because of fighting off demons in the way he believed. She'd spent the last 50 years or so training young demons up. She taught them how to fight while Alistair taught them how to torture. She was one of the best in Hell after spending her whole life fighting. And she knew each of her family's weaknesses. It made sense for her to teach them.

Turning the shower off, she grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her body. She didn't really want to get out of the shower. It felt good on her muscles. But that was part of her humanity seeping through the cracks.

Sensing movement on the other side of the shower curtain, her defenses went up. Who had come into the bathroom while she was in here? Pulling back the curtain, she readied herself for a fight. But it just turned out to be Crowley.

Rolling her eyes, she stepped out of the shower and walked over to the mirror. Did he really have to come here again?

"Training with squirrel, are we?"

"It'll help to lure him down there," Mel shrugged her shoulders, "The more he feels he can trust me, the easier it will be to trap him."

Crowley had a look of impress on his face. Did he really think that she couldn't do this? Did he really worry that she would give into her humanity? Was he seeing that she was becoming torn at the idea?

That was how she'd ended up in the basement at some stupid time in the morning. She _was_ torn. While she was still a demon, her humanity was coming back through. Being around her family and being with _him_ was affecting her in ways that she didn't think would be possible as Queen of Hell. But nobody could know this. Neither her human family or her Hell family. She would have to deal with this herself.

"Just make sure it happens. We're wasting time."

"If you really wanted it to happen in your time, do it yourself," Mel shot back, seeing her eyes turn white—yes, white. She wasn't just any demon as the Queen of Hell—in the mirror. She calmed herself, and her green eyes came back, "If you want me to do it then you let me do it in my own time."

"I just want you back in my bed, Princess," Crowley smirked, "Say, when he falls asleep tonight, come back to Hell for a few hours."

Melinda glared at him through the mirror. He had gotten close behind her, and she could feel something—her imagination didn't need much help—hard against her. Before anything could happen, a knock at the door interrupted them.

"Mel?" Dean's voice called out, "You in there?"

"Erm, yeah," Mel called back without looking at the door. She turned to face Crowley and smirked, "Looks like duty calls."

She blew him a kiss and then turned to the door, opening it wide. She knew that Crowley would disappear before Dean could see him. Getting caught wasn't a worry for Mel. Dean seemed a little taken aback as Mel stood there with just a towel wrapped around her. One minute she would be so timid and quiet, and then she'd just look at him as if she was ready to rip the clothes of his body—and more. She became the Mel that he remembered. Maybe it was some sort of PTSD as she fought through memories that would come back.

"Are you wanting the shower?" Mel now asked, with an expectant look in her eyes.

"Erm, yeah, that's where I was heading," Dean nodded, "Want to join me?"

"I've just got out," Mel smiled sweetly, "I'm gonna get dressed. I'll see you soon."

With that, Mel brushed past him, causing her to frown. She wasn't quite the girl that she'd been 10 months ago. The old Mel wouldn't have passed up the chance to jump in the shower with him. Dean was brushing it off as her getting used to being alive again, but Mel was purposely keeping her distance. She couldn't let any more humanity come through, otherwise she would never get the job done.

The family crowded around the sun room. Phoebe and brought her girls over, while Paige had convinced Haley to come with her. Right now, the only people missing were Hen and his two girls. Dean had wondered whether Hen would come. He'd been through the worst over the last year. He'd lost his wife, almost lost his two girls and lost his sister. To make it worse, he'd found out that Holly had broken. The only saving grace was that Holly hadn't come after them...at least, not yet. Dean didn't put it past Crowley and the other demons to think sending Holly would be the best idea. Like they would be able to kill Holly. They'd want to save her.

"What are we here for, Dean?" Phoebe now asked, looking over at the older Winchester. Dean hadn't want to say anything until everyone was here. But he guessed everyone who was going to show up were here now.

"Will Hen make it?" Dean thought he'd double check with Paige.

"He's not returning my calls," Paige shook her head, "I'd guess not."

Dean nodded his head, just as the door to the house opened and slammed shut. Hope filled Dean's green eyes, but it quickly disappeared as Sam walked into the room.

"Hey!" Sam smiled, "Guess who I found outside."

Dean's eyes did light up when he saw the man behind Sam.

"Bobby!" Dean embraced the aging hunter in a warm hug and then looked over to Sam, "You called him."

"Last night." Sam nodded his head.

"Of course he did, you idjit," Bobby sighed, "Why didn't you? I ain't talked to you in..."

"I know, Bobby, I'm sorry," Dean sighed, "I'm guessing Sam's told ya."

"He told me everything." Bobby nodded his head and then looked at the family congregating in the sun room. It was clear they didn't know yet.

"What's going on?" Pru asked, "I need to get back to..."

"Mel's back." Dean cut off the young girl, knowing exactly what she was going to say, "I don't know how or why, but she's back."

"She's alive?" Hope filled Haley's eyes. If Mel was back then maybe, just maybe, her sister would return too. Maybe Holly was already back.

"Yeah. Erm...Mel?" Dean called towards the living room. Mel stepped into the room, offering a small wave. She'd noticed Sam and Bobby walk into the house, but they hadn't seen her. Obviously knowing where Dean would be, they wanted to get straight to him. That and she'd been perfectly still not to catch their attention.

"Mel!" Poppy squealed with excitement and rushed to her cousin. Mel felt the 17-year-old's arms wrap around her tightly, "Oh my God! You're alive. You're back and you're...I can't believe it."

"Believe it, Poppy-Lop," Mel smiled, wrapping her arms around Poppy, "I missed you." And that was the truth. She had missed Poppy, especially now that she'd seen her. Poppy was the one cousin she could connect with the most, despite the six-year age gap.

Phoebe, Paige and Patience followed suit, hugging Melinda tightly. So tightly that she needed to ask them to let her breath. After all, she needed to make it seem like she needed the air right now. Guilt spread through her. She was going to break them all very soon. Once she had Dean right where she needed him, she'd make it clear that she had played them this whole time; that she was really a demon. She was giving them their cousin/niece to them and would snatch her away just as they thought life could get somewhat back on track.

Two people had held back from the hugs. Mel looked between Pru and Haley. They were going to be the hardest ones to appease. Haley wanted her sister back, and Pru wanted Riley back. Neither would see them. Holly was...well, Holly was a fully-fledged demon now. She'd broken long before Mel and had made it clear that she was on the side of the King of Hell yesterday.

"How long?" Haley was the first to speak, "How long have you been back?"

Mel looked over to Dean, who answered for her telling them about the day before. Haley slowly nodded and then looked back at her cousin.

"And Holly?"

"I don't know, Hales," Mel shook her head with a quiet voice, "I don't remember seeing her. I don't remember much about Hell. There's snippets of blood and I hear screams now and then, but I don't...I don't remember anything detailed."

"So, you didn't see Riley there?" Pru now asked, tears in her eyes.

"Riley? No." Mel shook her head.

"I tried to find out yesterday, Pru." Dean spoke up, shuffling his feet. He wanted to find his friend, too. Now that Mel was back, he could spare some resources to help Pru. He would spare some resources, while helping Melinda at the same time. Maybe the others would start pitching in now that Mel was back too. They'd seen that one could be brought back, the others could too.

"What happened, Pru?" Mel asked, looking into her cousin's eyes.

"He went looking for you," Pru explained, "He said he was going to the demon bar and...he just never came back. We've looked and looked but..."

"You think he was caught." Mel nodded slowly, tears forming in her eyes. Part of her was sad for her cousin, but she had been the one to torture him day after day while in Hell. He was her project, her "pet" as Crowley often put it. Torturing him brought her amusement while in Hell, and kept demons sweet. There was regularly talk that she was just faking her evil streak, but who would fake it by torturing someone who used to be a friend?

She looked forward to the day that Dean was in Hell. She would definitely have fun with him to keep demons sweet. But he would also help pass the time in other, more inventive ways. Crowley would try to stop her, but she would make sure she got her way.

"I think it's been too much for her." Mel felt herself being pulled out of her thoughts by Dean's strong arms wrapping around her. She looked around the room and realized that her family was looking at her. They all had matching concerned expressions, including Sam and Bobby. The two hunters worried her the most. They were the ones more likely to see through her ruse. But they were human. They didn't have powers, and she could deal with them much quicker and easier. It made it easier now that they were both together.

"We need to tell Hen," Paige turned her attention to Haley, "There's hope that Holly will come back if Mel is back."

"And Riley," Pru turned to her mom with hope in her eyes, "We can get him back, right?"

"We will keep trying to find him, Pru," Phoebe agreed, "We don't know if he's in Hell but we will try everything."

"You'll help, won't you?" Pru looked at her cousin, fresh tears forming in her brown eyes. Mel couldn't do anything but nod her head. How could she say no? The old Mel wouldn't say no, would she?

"We'll all help." Dean stated, looking towards Sam with a hopeful glint. Sam quickly agreed, but Dean could see there was doubt in his eyes. There was doubt in Bobby's eyes. Did they doubt that Riley was alive or doubt that Mel was really Mel? He would have to find out later.

"I'm sorry, I need to...I..." Mel couldn't finish her sentence before she rushed out of the room. She went straight up the stairs to escape her family. It was too much, but not because of the reasons everyone else thought. She was struggling to stop emotions come flooding through. Struggling with the humanity that was forcing its way through cracks. It was seriously putting a dampener on this plan. Maybe she would have to take a trip back to Hell for a few hours—maybe days. It would be enough to reminder her of who she was now. Remind her of being the Queen of Hell.

"Hey, everything okay?" Dean asked, but he knew the answer really. He'd followed her out of the sun room and up the stairs. She'd gone straight for the room they were now sharing at the Manor, for some peace he could only guess.

"I just...I need some time," Mel turned around to face him, rubbing her eyes. She looked tired, and Dean wasn't really surprised. She's slept so little last night. It would bound to be taking its toll on her right now, "Do you mind if I just have some time to myself right now? Just a few hours?"

"No, of course," Dean nodded and kissed her forehead, "Take all the time you need. Just give me a shout if you want me."

He didn't really want to leave her, but he did need to sit down with Sam and Bobby to talk them through this. He needed to make them see that Mel was herself. She wasn't a demon. If she was, she'd have killed him by now. This would be the perfect time to talk to them about it, and give Mel the time she needed.

As Dean left the room, Mel closed the door behind her. She needed to get back to Hell.

With a click of her fingers, she was out of the Halliwell Manor and back in her room in Hell. She felt better already. The weight on her shoulders of constantly being around people from her old life was gone. She was back where she really belonged.

But the resent and distaste came back. She was back to loathing herself because of what she would be coming back to. It was Crowley.

Maybe getting Dean down here with her would be the best thing for her. They could overthrow Crowley and rule Hell together. That would be _perfect_.

With a grin about her newly forming plan, Mel walked out of her room to come face to face with two demons who seemed to be standing guard. They were taken aback by the Queen of Hell walking out of the room, especially dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. That was not the usual clothing for the Queen of Hell.

"My liege," one of the demons said as they bowed quickly, "We were not expecting you. The king said..."

"I know what the king probably told you," Mel waved them off and started walking down the hallway, "I'm back for now, though."

She went straight to the room that she knew her pet was being kept in. They wouldn't move him. Not without her permission. As she opened the door, she grinned. There he was bounded on a rack. He had obviously been tortured while she was gone. It made sense. A few hours on Earth was a few days in Hell.

"Mel!" Riley said from the rack in a hoarse voice.

"Pru's been asking about you," Melinda taunted, running her finger over a fresh cut. Riley cried out in pain, but she didn't stop. She just looked deep into her eyes, "She's scared. Misses you so much and wants to see you. How would you like me to bring her down here."

"Don't do it, Mel," Riley shook his head, "You need to fight all this. You need to go back to the witch that you are."

"You mean the witch you allowed to die?" Mel asked him, slamming her hand through Riley's chest and grabbing his heart. She grabbed it gently, but it was strong enough to make Riley scream, "I'm happy as the demon I am. Now tell me, do you want her down here or shall I just kill her? Your call."

"Mel...p...p...please," Riley screamed as tears flowed down his cheeks, "Leave her alone."

"I can't do that," Mel shook her head and removed her hand, "I think I'll bring her down here. Let her see the weak, half-manticore that you've become. Maybe you'll live long enough to see her first round of torture."

"Son, I know you want to believe that it's Mel but it could be anything," Bobby sighed, sitting at the small kitchen table, "Please tell me you did all the tests. The holy water, silver, everything."

"I did it all, okay?" Dean shouted from the island, where he leaned. He slammed the glass of scotch on it, turning around. He couldn't look his father-figure in the eye when he lied. But he couldn't give away the fact that he was lying. They'd never trust him again, "It's Mel. I know it."

"Dean, we're just trying to look out for you and this family," Sam sighed, "We have no idea how Mel came back but everything I've read says that only Lucifer could bring someone back."

"We know that ain't true, Sammy. Dad escaped Hell."

"Yeah but as a ghost," Sam pointed out, "Mel is corporeal. She's a walking, breathing, talking person. The only people like that from Hell aren't exactly people."

Dean shook his head with a sigh. He couldn't believe that his girlfriend was something other than Mel. Yes, there were signs that she wasn't the same person, but she'd been through decades of torture. It made sense that she'd come back as someone different, especially when thrown back into her large family.

Maybe Dean could take her away somewhere. They could get a break and enjoy their time together. As Mel felt more at ease, she could share what she did remember from Hell. Clearly, there were snippets. That's what she'd told her family. It was more than she'd told him so far. A break would do the two of them good.

"Dana is talking to the Elders at the moment," Sam now continued, "She's finding out everything she can about Mel's return to Earth. Doesn't it seem a bit strange that she's back in her own body?"

"Exactly, Sam," Dean sighed, "If she was a demon, she'd possess someone else. But she's in her own body. I don't know how that happened, but that's not the usual case after escaping Hell. Maybe someone Up There brought her back. I mean, Castiel said he was looking for a way."

Sam sighed and looked at Bobby cautiously. Dean was going into this blind and he didn't seem to care if he ended up dead because of his blind faith.

 **A/N: I know it's quite a short chapter, but I do hope you enjoyed it! I'll be back with more later this week, I promise.**


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